Working in a creative field requires a tough skin, and the music industry is no exception. Band, label, manager, agent, promoter - it doesn't matter in which part of the industry you work; you are bound to face more than a few bumps in the road. The trick is to deal with the disappointment, learn from it and move on towards your goals without getting sidetracked. Find out how to manage these common music business problems so you don't lose sight of where you want to go.
Music Industry Problem - No One is Responding to your Demo:
Music Industry Solution - A very, very common music industry issue, this one. The first thing you should know about dealing with demo disappointment is that almost every single one of your favorite bands has faced this let down, and in most cases, you WON'T get a response from your demo. It doesn't have to mean you are doing anything wrong per se - sometimes it just takes awhile to get the right demo to the right person. You can up your chances of getting the response you want by making sure you adhering to some basic demo ground rules. Need some help? Check out these articles:
The right approach is no guarantee of demo success, however. There are a few things extra things you can do to increase your chances:
- Keep building your profile by playing shows
- Pursue press coverage of your shows
- Keep your promo package up to date and keep labels informed about what you're doing
- Stay on top of your internet promotion tools, like MySpace, Twitter and your own blog
You might also consider releasing your own record. You can learn the pros and cons of this course of action here:
Music Industry Problem - The Review Isn't in the Magazine After All:
Music Industry Solution - Getting press for a new album or a live show can be hard work, especially in larger publications who generally look favorably on labels and bands who can throw a big load of advertising money their way. Hitting the wall when you're trying to convince people to cover your news is one thing, but being told by someone that a review will be in a certain issue of a newspaper/magazine or on a certain website and then having it never appear is doubly frustrating. How should you handle it?
Again, first of all, understand that this happens often, and it really isn't anything personal. Sometimes writers say that a review will appear just to appease you and sometimes they really think it is going to be there and are just as surprised as you when it's not. Getting bumped for bigger stories is part of the game, but you can make things better by following up on it. Put a call in to your contact at the publication and find out what happened. See if you can get them run it in the next issue instead. If you made a big deal about the review beforehand on your website or if your distributor has been using news of the review to promote your album, touch base with everyone and let them know what happened and when the review will resurface.
In most instances, there isn't much you can do to absolutely guarantee a review will come through when you think it will, but you can perfect your press game with the right approach. You can also build up a personal relationship with of the writers who are into your music. These articles can help:
- Album Press Release Template
- Tour Press Release Template
- Timing Your Press Release
- How to Write a Band Bio
- Career Profile: Music Journalist
- Interview: Ron Mexico
Music Industry Problem: You Can't Get Distribution:
Music Industry Solution: When you're starting a record label or releasing your own record, distribution can be a big problem. Most distributors are looking for a few things in record labels:
- A label with a decent sized catalogue of several releases by a few different artists, so that they don't have to place all their eggs in the basket of just one record on your label (this is a big problem if you're releasing your own record)
- A label with the tools to promote their releases
- A label that can demonstrate a plan to keep their release schedule active - distributors want to know that you're going to keep on giving them new releases to sell
- Go for a physical distributor that takes on all labels who approach them. In this instance, they will fulfill orders when stores request your music, but they won't do much in the way of actively trying to work your catalog. You'll have to do a great deal of legwork to promote your product, not just in the press but also to retailers/store buyers.
- Opt for digital distribution. Digital distribution is important to have even when you have physical distribution, but it can also be a great starting point for labels. Getting digital distribution is pretty easy, although as with the example above, you'll be solely responsbible for promoting your catalog.
